I
One of the things that made Callum so proud of his eidetic memory was remembering all of the details after hearing it once.
Like Aunt Amaya's Lost Bread recipe.
"The staler the bread, the greater the victory when I achieve my perfect recipe for Aunt Amaya's Lost Bread," he recalled his aunt signing. "Gren, go secure the ingredients from the travel rations. You know what I need."
"Of course," the commander replied. "Eggs, milk, salt, and - oh, right. I almost said your secret ingredient out loud."
Ever since they escaped from the Banther Lodge, Callum has been trying to solve the mystery behind his aunt's delicious breakfast recipe.
"Maybe the secret ingredient is Love?" Rayla snapped her fingers towards his direction. "You know, like the famous quote."
"I heard that a lot of people have tried to replicate her recipe with passion, so I highly doubt that's the case."
"Maybe it's pepper?" Ezran suggested. "Because pepper goes well together with salt?"
"How can we find pepper in this wilderness?" their elf companion gesticulated to their surroundings. "Not to mention peppercorns?"
The trio, who just survived from their river rafting fiasco, were huddling in front of their campfire for warmth, leaving their damp garments draped near the rocks to dry. Rayla stripped off everything except her inner camisole and teal leggings, while Callum wore nothing but his sleeveless red vest and boxers. Ezran, on the other hand, has no problems getting naked under his dark cloak.
Luckily, the dragon egg survived, as well as Callum's sketchbook and their weapon-grade baguettes.
"I'm sorry about what happened in the Banther Lodge," the older prince muttered with an abashed face. "I really do. I didn't mean to say those words to our aunt. It won't happen again, I promise."
"It's fine, Callum. I already forgave you," Rayla waved her hand dismissively, then glanced at the younger prince who gave her a meek smile. "And you two don't need to make amends by replicating your Aunt Amaya's Lost Bread," she emphasized with an air quote. "I'm sure it tastes nothing like Moonberry Surprise."
"Moonberry Surprise?" Ezran asked, tilting his head to the side. "What's in it?"
"It's a surprise, silly," the elf chuckled much to his confusion. "Once we reach Xadia, I will treat you with the best Moonberry Surprise on the entire continent."
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II
While Rayla was recuperating, the princes decided to treat their friend with their Aunt Amaya's Lost Bread. Unfortunately, Lujanne didn't have any human foods stored in the Nexus since no one has ever lived or visited the place for hundreds of years.
"Ava and I can go downtown and fetch those ingredients for you," Ellis offered much to the princes' delight.
"You're a lifesaver, Ellis!" said Callum excitedly as he began to jot down the list on a piece of paper. "We need some eggs, milk, salt - "
"And pepper," Ezran added.
"And pepper," his brother wrote down. "And bread. Don't forget the bread. The staler the bread the better."
The young girl made a finger salute as she snatched the list from his hand. "Roger that, Chef mage!"
Chef mage, huh? the prince bemused at the thought.
A couple of hours later, Ellis arrived with a tray of eggs, a carton of milk, a small shaker of salt and pepper, and three loaves of stale bread.
As Callum began to assemble the cookware he got from Lujanne - which raised a question why the Moon mage has all the kitchen tools in mint condition but not even a single edible human food - Ezran nudged his arm to grab his attention. "We're supposed to fry the Lost Bread, right?"
"Yup. Just like how Aunt Amaya cooks hers."
"But Callum," his brother frowned. "We don't have butter for frying...or even oil."
Oh.
Oh shit.
They forgot the freaking butter!
"We can go back if you like," Ellis suggested as she climbed Ava's back again, smiling. "We don't mind."
"Are you sure?" the elder prince asked. "We don't want to impose you."
"Don't worry, it's not a big deal!" the girl chirped back casually with a toothy grin. "Besides, we're curious to taste your Aunt Amaya's Lost Bread. Right, Ava?"
The wolf responded with an enthusiastic bark.
"See, Ava's excited too!"
"Thank you, guys," Ezran sighed with relief. "We'll make sure to double your servings. Same goes to you, Ava."
"You better keep your promise!"
Few minutes after Ava and Ellis left, Rayla approached them with a baby dragon tucked on her side.
"Zym!" Ezran exclaimed when the dragon suddenly tackled him to the ground. "We're still not done making our Aunt Amaya's Lost Bread!"
Zym puffed some air from his nostrils.
"But I can't play with you right now. Unless Callum..." the boy paused for a bit then looked at his brother with puppy eyes. "Can I play with him instead?"
Callum eyed their ingredients that were laid on the long table with consideration. Making a Lost Bread was easy, and he could use it as an opportunity to teach him how to crack eggs properly. But then he knew they would make a mess, and their ingredients weren't plenty.
"You can go and play with him, Ez. I can manage this."
"Really?" the young prince rushed towards him then hugged his torso. "Best brother ever!"
Callum rolled his eyes as he patted his brother's wild mane, then noticed Rayla's pursed grin. "What?"
"Nothing," she responded casually.
The dragonling squealed happily, dragging the young prince away for some playtime, while Bait waddled behind them with a grunt.
"So, Lost Bread?" he nodded at her inquiry.
"We forgot the butter," Callum explained when the elf took a seat across him. "Good thing Ava and Ellis were considerate enough to go back to the town again."
"That's pretty kind of them," she commented, observing how the older prince sliced the stale bread into bite sizes. "I didn't know that princes can cook."
"Eh, just basic stuff. Nothing too fancy," he shrugged nonchalantly without glancing at his companion.
"So you know how to prepare your Aunt Amaya's Lost Bread?"
"Well, not really? I'm just eyeballing everything and preparing these just like how Aunt Amaya prepared hers. Crack enough eggs, add a splash of milk, a sprinkle of salt and pepper to taste I guess. Then I'm going to dump these bread slices to the mixture and let it soak there for a while, probably just enough until Ava and Ellis arrive with the butter."
"Huh, that's a pretty straightforward recipe," she muttered with a downturned mouth. "But how come everyone failed to replicate this?"
"Beats me," he shrugged, pulling a separate bowl for the egg mixture.
"Need a helping hand?"
Callum inspected her arm that was previously constricted by a wrist binding. It was less purplish than yesterday but not healthy-looking enough to be considered as one hundred percent cured.
"Nah, it's okay. I can manage this," he flicked the bowl with a boyish grin. "Consider this as our way to congratulate you for not losing your hand!"
"Yay, what a celebration," the elf replied sardonically.
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Rayla ended up helping Callum by showing him the correct way to use a flint, much to the prince's embarrassment.
"You know, this reminds me of an egg toast," she commented as Callum began to fry his first batch of bread. "Only that we added a dash of cinnamon or nutmeg to the mixture for a more earthy flavor. Sometimes vanilla or almond extract."
"Aunt Amaya doesn't like the smell of food extracts, and I'm pretty sure there's no cinnamon in her Lost Bread," he snorted. "Or else Claudia would barf. She hates cinnamon."
He gulped audibly when he saw a teasing glint flashed on her lilac eyes.
"Claudia, huh?" the elf reclined her back as she smirked saucily. "Tall girl with long dark hair wearing dark clothes, called you a 'fool' when actually she wanted to fry me with her lightning spell?"
"C-Claudia's not like that!" he stuttered with a blush. "S-she just misunderstood the situation! O-once you get to know her, you'll realize how kind and protective she is with people around her!"
"Ooh, someone is in love!"
"S-shut up!"
His face turned moonberry-red when Rayla bent over laughing, "Oh my Garlath, you stutter! You're now turning red like - red like your scarf! You looked so...you looked so innocent like a puppy! I can't...my sides...!"
"Laugh all you want, for now," he sneered, pointing his spatula on her way with a threat. "Because once I got some dirt on you, I swear I will mock you for eternity!"
"Good luck on that, blushy prince!"
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"So this is what you humans call a brunch," Lujanne said as she inspected her plate with interest, then sniffed. "And these smell delicious!"
"Of course, Callum added it with a dash of love," Rayla drawled with a snicker, which earned her a beady glare.
Ezran and Ellis eyed the snorting elf and the fuming prince, then glanced at each other with a baffled shrug.
Teenagers can be confusing sometimes.
"Oh, this is so good," the Moon mage moaned between bites. "Can I marry you? Because I will marry you on the spot!"
"Y-your thoughts are enough," the eldest prince chuckled nervously, then plucked his fork for a bite.
He frowned.
It wasn't salty, peppery, or bland. In fact, it was just as fluffy as his Aunt Amaya's Lost Bread. But the taste...
It was too savory.
He glanced at his brother who shared him a knowing look.
This wasn't their Aunt Amaya's Lost Bread recipe.
"This is the best Lost Bread I've ever tasted!" Ellis' cheerful voice broke their reverie. "And I really, really, love to eat this again! What do you think, Ava?"
Her wolf propped her head up from her bowl then yelped at her way.
"Ava agrees with me!"
"What's wrong, guys?" the elf asked when she noticed the princes' crestfallen expressions.
"I'm sorry, Rayla," the younger prince looked at his abandoned food. "We wanted to recreate Aunt Amaya's Lost Bread for you but we failed."
Callum patted his shoulder. "I think it was me who failed, Ez. I probably overbeat the egg, or maybe I added too much milk that - "
"You two are ridiculous," the elf snarked at them as she bit a piece of her bread. "I don't want to eat your aunt's Lost Bread version. All I want is Callum and Ezran's Lost Bread version."
The princes looked at her with awe.
"And don't sell yourself short, sad prince," she pointed her cutlery towards the older prince with a grin. "Your cooking is impeccable. Always remember that."
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When Claudia and Soren arrived two days later, Callum was tempted to ask them about Aunt Amaya's Lost Bread and if they knew how to replicate it. If not for his racing heart, he probably blurted it to Claudia's face.
But somehow he was glad he didn't.
As much as he liked Claudia, he didn't want to sully his aunt's beloved recipe with Dark Magic, just like how she cooked her fluffy pancakes.
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III
"Look what I just found!" Ezran's voice boomed inside the pantry. "A stale bread!"
"Ugh, you humans and your beloved bread." Rayla rolled her eyes indignantly when the younger prince waved a piece of baguette.
Callum jabbed her side, mimicking her accent. "Ugh, You elves and your moonberry juices."
The elf stuck her tongue out at his mockery.
The storm had completely stopped but Villads suggested that they remained on the island for a few hours until the wind calmed down.
"The sky might be clear on our side," the blind Captain told them. "But on the other side, it's not."
Since Villad's ship has been carrying nothing edible except bird seeds, the trio decided to investigate the dilapidated observatory on the hilltop for some food. So far, they found a can of beans, a baguette, half a bottle of olive oil, some rotten milkfruits that they scavenged in the backyard, and a bird's nest full of eggs.
"I don't sense any signs of life in these eggs," Ezran muttered as he inspected each egg with caution. "Weird."
"Does that mean they're all rotten?"
"No, I don't think these are rotten eggs," he plucked one of the eggs and placed it in a small bucket full of water. "See? It's not floating."
The elf looked up to the run down ceiling. "You think that nest got hit by lightning and zapped them all?"
"I don't know. Maybe?"
"Hey, I think I found some salt. Not sure if this is really salt but," Callum appeared in the hallway with a small vial, in which he uncapped it, dipped his pinky to the substance then licked it. "Yep, it's salt."
"Are you an idiot?!" the elf yelled as she snatched the bottle from his hand. "Why would you put something foreign in your mouth without thinking?"
"Well, it looks like salt, smells like salt so I'm definitely sure it will taste like salt," he quipped, his hands on his waist. "And I was right - it is salt!"
"Some poisons are salty." she scoffed as she placed the vial on the counter.
"But I'm still here alive and kicking - ouch!" Callum yelped when she kicked his shin. "Rayla!"
"I'm just making sure that you're still alive by kicking," she retorted with a smirk, then glanced at the younger prince who was whisper-gigging with Bait and Zym. "What?"
"Nothing!" Ezran cleared his throat as he stood up, examining their loots on the table with curiosity. "So, what are we going to do with these?"
"We're going to cook that can of beans in the fire, then boil half of these eggs so we can consume them while we travel to Xadia," she told him. "And the rest..."
"We're going to make some Lost Bread," Callum suggested as he yanked an iron skillet under the sink area. "Oh, this looks perfect!"
"But we don't have milk." the boy pointed out.
"We can use milkfruit as a substitute."
"How about pepper?"
"Forget the pepper, Ez. Salt is enough."
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The princes realized that their recent version of Lost Bread almost tasted like their Aunt Amaya's recipe.
Almost.
"This is our breakthrough, Ez!" the older prince felt like crying as he munched his food blissfully. "We're about to unveil the secret behind Aunt Amaya's Lost Bread!"
"Finally!" his brother gobbled his share with joyful tears. "Who would've thought that milkfruit would be our key to success?"
"We're not sure if milkfruit is actually Aunt Amaya's secret ingredient," Callum pondered. "We've never seen her squashed a milkfruit to her Lost Bread, or even added any milkfruit jams."
"Maybe the milk she used was plant-based?"
"Huh." the older prince stopped mid-chew. "I never thought of that."
Rayla, who was listening to the boys' discussions, shook her head with bemusement.
"Dorks," she muttered under her breath.
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IV
"I'm sorry if I can't treat you with our Moonberry Surprises anymore," Rayla murmured dejectedly as she sat on a rock while staring at the faceless bypassers. "Now you can't tell if it's better than your Aunt's Amaya's Lost Bread or not."
"Eating Moonberry Surprise is the least of my concerns." Callum retorted with crossed arms.
He has no idea how big the deal was behind the so-called 'ghosting'; all he wanted was to undo it.
He didn't want to see her hurt.
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V
Sleep didn't bode well with Callum that night.
There were so many things, mind-blowing things, that happened yesterday that his head couldn't keep up with it anymore. The battle with Viren's inhumane army, his brother leading a flight of dragons, the burning sensation of Kasef's hand as he squeezed his throat, the appearance of the Order of the Broken Chains and the Durenian army led by Queen Aanya.
Worst of all, his stupid eidetic brain chose that one painful memory to be replayed on a loop.
"I'm here," Rayla slurred when she felt his arms tensed around her body. "You caught me, Callum. I love you."
"I love you, too." he shuddered, pressing a kiss between her horns with reverence.
He wanted to laugh at the irony how a few days ago, the two of them we're a flustered mess at the idea of sharing a single bedroll. Now they were snuggling shamelessly in a cot that was laid in an open area and can be seen by anyone who stayed in the Storm Spire for a night.
"Did you sleep well?" his elf - his elf! - opened her bleary eyes as she asked, then frowned when he shook his head. "Nightmares?"
"And my very sore arms," he added sourly. "I didn't know that using mage wings for the first time was painful."
"We need to work on your muscles," she chuckled as she poked his sorry excuse of a bicep, tracing his faded runes deftly with her finger. "Your wings...they are so beautiful."
Callum blushed at her compliments.
"You know...you're the reason behind why I was able to spread my wings, literally and figuratively," he tucked a stray hair behind her ears with a smile. "We only know each other for a month, but it feels like I've known you since forever."
Her brow jerked up with upturned lips. "Are you going to be this insufferable every morning?"
"Not only every morning," her face scrunched cutely when he pecked a kiss on her nose. "But every waking moment I spent with you."
"You're such a sappy prince."
"Your sappy prince."
The two were about to deepen their kiss when someone clears their throat, snapping them back to reality.
"I'm sorry to interrupt your...intimate moments, Prince Callum," said Gren as he hovered above them with a bashful grin. "But your Aunt Amaya instructed me to wake you and Lady Rayla up for breakfast."
"We'll be there in a minute. Thanks, Gren." the prince responded as the Commander left to rouse Ezran.
"But I don't want to get up," Rayla whined as she pinned him down with her weight. "You're so warm!"
"C'mon, Rayla, you'll never want to witness Aunt Amaya's wrath." he chuckled as he peeled her arms away so he could sit down. "For her, breakfast is the most important meal of the day."
"What would happen if we skip it?"
"You don't want to know," he quipped. "C'mon Rayla, let's gooo. Don't you want to taste the authentic Aunt Amaya's Lost Bread?"
That sold her immediately.
The couple went to the dining hall and met some disgruntled looks from people who were rudely awakened.
"Is she always like this?" Janai grumbled, cradling her head with her elbows on the table. "I barely slept a wink!"
Ezran, who was sitting beside her, patted her back with solace, "If it's any consolation, you can finally try Aunt's Amaya's infamous Lost Bread!"
"Lost Bread? What in a Xadian name is that?"
"If my assumption is correct, and if it is," Kazi interjected as they adjusted their spectacles. "Lost Bread is similar to our egg toast, but the humans prepared differently."
The Sunfire elf clicked her tongue. "She better proves it that her Lost Bread or whatever is worth my sleep."
"It is!" the young King piped in cheerfully, then glanced at Queen Aanya who was sitting across the table.
He didn't know if he should be impressed or scared how the young queen of Duren could sit still while sleeping with her eyes wide open.
Her blank stares were stressing Bait so much that his skin began to change into purple.
"How's it going, mage prince?" Soren greeted as he slapped Callum's back playfully, unaware how the prince winced at the contact.
"I-I'm fine," he wheezed, clutching Rayla's hand firmly as a subtle warning to not punch the blond's face. "How about you?"
"Never been better," he answered with an arm flex. "How about you, Dragonmoon Lady?"
The elf glared at him with narrow slits, "Drop that stupid nickname at once or I will dropkick you."
"W-whoa, just chill out will you?" The Crownguard let out an anxious laugh with raised arms up as if surrendering, then tilted his head to Callum's ear with a loud whisper. "She's kidding, right?"
"When Rayla told you that she will dropkick you, she's definitely going to dropkick you," was his stoic reply.
Before Soren could say something, a loud tapping sound from Amaya's shield caught their attention. The teens went to their respective seats immediately - Soren sat between Corvus and Marcos while Rayla and Callum occupied the vacant seats beside Ezran's right.
"Now that everyone is here," Gren spoke out loud as he interpreted Amaya's hand signs. "I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to all of you for the bravery and strength that you displayed yesterday. Without you, we will never end this war with peace and unity, something that our ancestors sought out for hundreds of years. Let us all cast our pride and prejudices, and instead remembered this monumental day with solidarity and love."
Everyone made a round of applause.
"And the best way to start our day," the General went on, pulling the table cover to reveal several trays of her infamous Lost Bread. "-is by having a good breakfast!"
All were astonished at the sight of warm bread slices while some drooled at its aroma.
"What do you think, Rayla?" Callum and Ezran asked in unison after she fetched her portion and took a bite.
"Well," she chewed her food as if savoring its flavor. "It's delicious."
"And?"
The elf almost laughed at the boys' excited looks as they waited for her opinion, but then she remembered how the two made several attempts of their aunt's recipe so she could enjoy the taste of her Lost Bread.
"What's wrong?" Callum brushed her tears gently with his thumb. "Is Aunt Amaya's Lost Bread so good that it makes you cry?"
"No, dummy," she shook her head, wiping the rest of her tears with the back of her hand. "I just remembered the efforts that you two made to replicate your aunt's breakfast recipe just for me, and now that I've tasted the real thing, I felt that everything that we've gone through..."
"Were useless?" the king suggested.
"No, Ez. Everything that you and Callum have done isn't useless. I was thinking that it was more...anticlimactic, in a sense."
"Ah, I think I know what you mean." he nodded. "But even if we failed to know the secret ingredient behind Aunt Amaya's recipe, the most important thing is that you've finally tried it!"
"Isn't that the main point of our cooking journey?" His brother added with an impish grin. "So, what do you think of our Aunt Amaya's Lost Bread? Is it better than your Moonberry Surprise?"
Rayla let out a snort. "I can't rate this eggy bread with the same standard as a dessert. Their categories are different! Besides..."
"Besides what?"
"Moonberry Surprise has an element of a surprise. While this," she gestured on her plate. "Doesn't have that anymore."
"What do you mean?"
"Callum, Ez," the elf smirked as she placed her hand on their shoulders. "I think I know the secret ingredient behind your Aunt Amaya's Lost Bread!"
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VI
It's been weeks since Rayla began to live in Katolis, so the Moonshadow elf felt that it was time for her to show her appreciation to the royal family.
By making their breakfast.
"You're not obligated to do this, Rayla," Callum said as he pulled a seat beside Ezran. "We brought you here to Katolis because we love you."
"Callum is right," his brother responded, followed by Bait who croaked to agree.
"Aww guys, can't I just do these things because I love you too?"
"And I love you three!" Soren batted his lashes flippantly much to the elf's disgust.
So she chucked her apron that she balled towards the Crownguard's face.
"I understand your sentiments, Rayla," Amaya signed. "But I want you to know that your presence here isn't a burden. You're already part of the family."
"Thank you," Rayla blushed at her words. "And since everyone is here, let's dig in!"
The brothers didn't expect that she would serve them Lost Breads.
"When we were traveling to Xadia, these two had been very adamant to recreate their Aunt Amaya's Lost Bread, which I thought was their weird way to make up for me after what happened in the Banther Lodge at first, only to realize that they just wanted to share the experience that I missed out - an experience that I should've enjoyed if elves and humans understood each other."
The room fell into silence as everyone listened to her.
Rayla went on with a wistful smile. "It was so sweet of them that they cared about my well-being despite our horrible first encounter and trust issues that we ironed out eventually. And even though their experiments weren't a success, the memories of their warm creations were something I will never exchange for the world. That's why I decided to share my version of Lost Bread as my way to say 'thank you' to King Ezran and Prince Callum for being the best best friends I've ever had."
The elf was taken aback when the young king tackled her, followed by her boyfriend who wrapped them both for a tight embrace. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed how Amaya wiped something in her cheeks while Soren was beside her sniffling uncontrollably.
"We love you, Rayla," Ezran murmured as he wetted her shirt with his tears.
"I know," she chuckled, nudging the two boys away, "Let's go back to our seat before our food turns cold."
Rayla's Lost Bread was surprisingly good.
It wasn't as savory as the one they made in the Moon Nexus, or as fruity as the one they ate in a rundown observatory. Her Lost Bread was fluffy, crunchy with a caramel taste.
It's as if they were eating Aunt Amaya's Lost Bread.
Callum immediately stood from his seat and rushed in front of Rayla when his aunt unsheathed her sword.
"W-wait, Aunt Amaya!" the mage prince flailed his arms as he tried to de-escalate the tension in the air. "There must be a mistake - "
"Your minx girlfriend stole my recipe!"
"S-Stole?" he let out a nervous laugh as he glanced at the unperturbed elf. "Rayla is not a type that would steal something from anyone!"
"Then how can she explain this?!" the general shoved her plate to their direction without spilling the contents.
"I didn't steal your recipe," was Rayla's casual response as she similarly twirled her table knife as her butterfly weapons. "I don't even know how you cook them in the first place!"
Amaya seethed as she pointed her sword to her way, much to everyone's panic. "Then why."
Callum eyed his brother who made a mental note to ban all dangerous weapons in the dining area.
"As I said earlier, Callum and Ez were trying to recreate your recipe but failed," the elf explained as she caught her cutlery mid-air. "Not that their Lost Bread tastes bad; their version was more savory or fruity than yours - which if I'm going to be honest, I preferred their savory version than all Lost Bread versions I've ever tasted, including yours."
All except Amaya jolted when she stabbed her bread forcefully with her knife. "The reason why I pulled this stunt was not only to return the favor, I don't want the boys' efforts to go to waste. So I used the ingredients that Callum remembered then I added the 'secret ingredient' that I tasted when I first ate your Lost Bread in the Storm Spire."
"And what's the secret ingredient?" Soren asked.
"Easy," the elf smirked. "It's sugar."